Sports

Leaked Chat Involving Michigan Football Player Reveals Distrust Of Coaches For Wasting Bryce Underwood

#Michigan Wolverines
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iStockphoto / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan TE Zack Marshall criticized the coaching staff in a leaked text conversation.


The Michigan football team is riding a two-game losing streak after falling to Minnesota on Saturday. The Wolverines are now sitting in the cellar of the Big Ten standings.

Players are angry with the new coaching staff. Control seems to have been lost. A leaked conversation involving a Michigan tight end has created concerns.

Trust appears to be gone in the locker room. Team members are picking sides between quarterback Bryce Underwood and their new coaches. No one believes in the offense.

Zack Marshall bashed his offensive coordinator.

The series of messages suggested that Jason Beck was the problem. He’s wasted Bryce Underwood’s talents. He does not know what he’s doing.

Beck was hired to call plays in Ann Arbor this past offseason, following head coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah. Last year, his offense ranked fourth nationally scoring at a clip of 41.3 points per game.

Michigan has not seen the same success. It barely beat Western Michigan in the season opener, needing a last-second Hail Mary to get to 13 points.

The Wolverines have eclipsed 20 points just once in five games. Across two Big Ten matchups, they’ve totaled 33 points to lose both.

Michigan currently sits at 105th nationally in scoring. Remove a 52-point outburst against UTEP and the offense is averaging just 15.8 points a night.

Bryce Underwood has received a brunt of the blame. He’s completing less than 60% of his attempts for 176 yards a game with five touchdowns and four picks. He’s failed to live up to his five-star potential. His teammates believe he’s been handcuffed.

“I want everyone off Bryce’s a–,” Marshall wrote in the text chain. He continued on to say, “Bryce is a good QB. Beck is a problem.”

Marshall does not trust the coaching staff. He does not believe the offense will get better under Jason Beck. That’s not a positive sign for a team in need of wins.

Zack Marshall apologized for his comments.

Marshall has a massive online following with 12.3K Instagram followers and 24.2K TikTok subscribers. While the senior has not recorded a catch this year, he is well known on campus. He’s also seen some success in the past.

Last year, he hauled in 16 receptions across 13 appearances. He found the endzone once and made three starts. He was expected to make an impact this year. It hasn’t happened.

Marshall says his new coach does not value the tight end position. There is a reason for his drop off. He has since offered an online apology for the criticism.

“I pointed fingers instead of taking blame. I let my frustrations speak for me in an emotional moment. I apologize to by teammates and coaches for the unnecessary drama that this has caused.”

That response does not lessen the concern. Clearly, players do not have faith in the offensive play caller or the new coaching staff. Some around the program believe it could be hit hard by the transfer portal next offseason.

Things are a mess in Ann Arbor midway through Kyle Whittingham’s first season. It might get worse before it gets better with matchups vs. Penn State, Indiana, UCLA, Oregon, and Ohio State still on the slate.